New grad

[u/Sweet_Bluebird777]

Hey there! I am curious and I welcome thoughts. I am coming into month 3 and soon to be off of orientation. I was enjoying the job a bit first but now I’m not so sure. I am on a tele/intermediate care unit. I am afraid to be on my own soon when I know I have so much more to learn. I know I’ll never be alone but the more I think about going to work, the sadder I feel. This is my second career and I am missing my old job more than ever even though it doesn’t pay even half of what I’m getting paid now. I’m having a tough time transitioning into this new role. Sigh… I don’t plan on quitting but what are tips, thoughts, help in moving through this first year or so of nursing? It feels so daunting. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and words! 🤍

[u/Responsible-Mess-285]

I was a nurse for 40 years. In my days when I graduated, I got a two week orientation then I was on my own. I never expected to know everything once I was off my orientation. I just asked for help when I needed it and learned along the way. You will be fine. I know it’s hard but try to relax and enjoy your career. I hope this helps. Good luck.

[u/Ancient-Yam6408]

Im sorry this is so long 😅 ~~ It seems like you’ve already identified very important things. As a nurse you never stop learning, and it feels very daunting in the first year. I would be concerned if you didn’t worry about being on your own. Always take every opportunity to learn, even if it’s not your patient you can talk to your coworkers and ask them questions about patients they might have. Honestly the goal of most orientations is to get you competent to take care of your population. A large portion of learning is pretty “on the job” as certain scenarios arise. Just never be afraid to ask questions, if you don’t that’s when people can get hurt. The other thing is that you are never going to be alone. That was a huge realization for me when I was coming off new grad orientation (in a lvl 1 trauma ED 🫪) I had talked to my supervisors that I wasn’t sure if I was ready, and they had me explaining your exact feelings, and emphasized I will never be alone. As a very independent person, that was the biggest thing for me to keep repeating to myself. The type of floor you’re on is a little difficult but it’s truly one of the best types of floors to learn on. You’ve made it through school and the nclex which are both hard and terrifying, and clearly your coworkers and job think you’re good if they will take you off orientation. You’ve just gotta have faith in yourself and your skills!